Tales From The Frontier
by SilasWhitfield
Summary: Lieutenant Iroh is fresh out of the Fire Nation Academy; the ink on his commission is barely dry. At 16 he is a tactical prodigy, and the youngest man to ever command a mechanized cavalry unit. He also happens to be next in line to become Fire Lord. Meanwhile the last Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom has fallen silent. His first mission will test his mettle… and his heart.
1. Chapter 1 Burying a Legend

(A/N: We didn't get to see enough of General Iroh during season one.

What we did see was incredible. He single handedly downed five aircraft, probably the first guy ever to become a fighter ace in a single day without an airplane of his own. Bolin described him as a "swashbuckling hero-type", which summed it up nicely. I wondered, though, what kind of past does this man have? There must be more to him than just the hero, a history that's made him what he is. We don't even know exactly how old he is, let alone what his early days were like.

This is the first of seven chapters, and it will tell the tale of a young and eager lieutenant who finds that the sting of battle and the honor of peace are two very different things.

As always, long-winded reviews are the most appreciated.)

* * *

Lieutenant Iroh stood stiffly at attention, one hand resting on his katana, the other clasped like a rock behind his back. The men behind him were wearing their red and black dress uniforms, but he was garbed in the traditional raiment and breastplate of the royal family. The sword was a reminder of times long gone when a Fire Sage's men could decapitate a peasant simply for failing to bow as his master passed. Times were different now, Iroh knew. The old stories of his great grandfather, Ozai, still permeated the minds of the people. He had insisted upon standing with his men, Rho Company of the Fire Lord's 422nd Armored Battalion, for this very reason. The prince had to show his common touch, and there was no better event to put this on display than this one.

He even lowered his head in respect as the procession passed. It was not a bow, but he did take a knee, which was a sign of utmost tribute when it was coming from the future Fire Lord. His movements were stiff, yet graceful. Eight years of training, practicing and discipline had made him a master of drill, and yet his eyes still flicked to the coffin as it passed.

There was no body inside it, he knew. Avatar Aang's physical remains had been disposed of in the custom of honored Air Nomads, in a towering funeral pyre that could be seen for miles around. An elderly female water bender was walking along behind it. She did not seem to be feeling distraught or grief. Like a legendary warrior before battle, her face was a mask of calm and serenity. Sokka, on the other hand, was a little less straight faced. He leaned on his sister slightly as they walked down the aisle, his feet rigid with age, but still possessing the vigor and strength of a much younger man. Toph and her daughter Lin followed afterward, along with Aang's children. Behind them was a contingent of ceremonial guard from each nation save for the Air Nomads. The last of their number were already present. Before looking back down at the ground, he stole a glance at the royalty box. Even from this distance, he could see the grim look on his grandfather Zuko's face, and he imagined that he could see his mother wiping tears from her eyes. He suddenly wished he had been able to meet the Avatar when he was old enough to remember it. His grandfather had told so many stories when he was growing up around the palace. Stories about himself, stories about Aang, stories about Ozai.

_Was it really true?_ He wondered. _Had my own great grandfather really been a bloody-minded tyrant and a warmonger? _He could only stand in awe of an age of great deeds he would never know. The past was marching by him, one column at a time, and it gave him a strange fluttering feeling in his chest, the spirit of destiny brushing his heart with her silver wings.

There would be a gap now, the scales would be unbalanced. The search for the next avatar was doubtlessly well under way, but first he (or she, he reminded himself) would have to be found, trained, and raised. The wise, guiding hand of the avatar would not be fully known again for decades, like a cherry blossom unfolding a little wider every summer. Until then the spirit world had no arbiter in the affairs of men, and the primary affair of men, as Iroh had learned from an exhaustive study of history, was war. The avatar had only papered over the disputes between nations and peoples, never erasing them completely. As Iroh stood up again and regained his position of attention, he knew that his task would be more important than ever. He was ready for it. Before a Fire Nation prince could draw, or write, or pick out the stars in the sky he could hold a blade. He would not be a cook, or a carpenter, or a farmer. He would be a warrior, and frankly, he couldn't wait.

Now it was his turn to write history. An old order was ending, and with it ended an era. It was up to him to carve out the next age, and to stamp his name upon it in fire and glory for all time. Such was the destiny of the line of Fire Lords. Such was his destiny.


	2. Chapter 2 The Engines of War

The sun beat down upon the parade ground, which had been covered with obstacles and equipment. Beneath its amber rays, Rho Company worked their hearts out. The other two companies were out on the town or sleeping in their barracks, but not Rho. Iroh had been groomed for this career his entire life, and he was not about to have the first unit under his command become anything less than a legend. To do that required sacrifices, starting with everyone's weekend pass, including his own. The soldiers panted and sweated as they fumbled over the log wall and down to the concrete where they each did fifty hot squats in a row before repeating the lap.

"Come on! Faster! What are you, a bunch of conscripts? MOVE!"

The mental and physical games had started on day one, and unlike the other lieutenants, Iroh had no intention of letting up now that they were on the eve of active duty. If there were complaints, grumblings among the men, he had not heard them. One simply did not grumble about the Fire Lady's son and also pursue a long and fruitful career anywhere, military or otherwise. When the men were exhausted, he allowed them a short break for water, and then ordered them to form up and move out in drill formation, as they always did. Next they practiced loading and unloading every item in their pack. Iroh particularly liked this one. It didn't sound like a strenuous activity considering that tankers dropped into battle with relatively light rucksacks and armor compared to the infantry, but it required intense muscle memory and dexterity to have everything in its proper place in less than fifteen seconds.

They did the drill over and over and over, until Iroh himself lost count. Any slipping was rewarded by a verbal chewing from him.

"Eight seconds late? Private Heron, there are a thousand volunteers waiting to take your place. Your spot is earned, not given! Prove that you are worthy to serve in this company!"

"Yes sir!"

Iroh flipped over his own pack for what felt like the millionth time and emptied its contents onto the ground.

"Again!"

Around mid-afternoon he relented and allowed the men to drop their sparring gear and fall out for food and water. He went for his usual walk around the perimeter of the fence. The island was resort quality by any standards, with beautiful, wide-trunked evergreens growing just a few hundred yards from the gentle surf. It was quiet here, away from the hustle and bustle of the palace servants, always trying to hand him something or steer him into a meeting. Iroh was not nearly as gregarious as his other family members. His idea of a Saturday night involved a large book, a comfortable chair, and a mug of something hot. This kind of pure, structured living was supposed to be refreshing, but his anxiety level was higher than ever.

His pacing terminated in front of the large vehicle depot, where the engineers had lined the battalion's tanks up side by side in two neat rows.

The 422nd mirrored the rest of the army; perfectly symmetrical, units within units, circles within circles. There were one hundred and eighty men and thirty six tanks total, twelve in each company, five men to a tank. Kai and Rho were composed of eight standard flame tanks each, with slits cut to allow a team of benders inside to rain fire upon the enemy from the safety of the cab. The other four had forsaken their low profile and squat center of gravity to mount a fat-barreled mortar tube on a rotating turret. The shells were loaded in the breach, and expelled at varying velocities by a competent fire bender and his crew. Iota Company, on the other hand, was composed of four normal tanks and eight that had been retrofitted to carry a cluster of rocket tubes on top, creating a makeshift fire support group. It was a great leap to make for a military that was fond of tradition, but tradition had been set aside for this unit.

Every excess scrap of metal had been removed from the vehicles. Their weight had been carefully pared down while sacrificing as little defense as possible. The goal was to fit four on one massive wooden pallet and throw it out the back of a moving blimp.

That was the great secret of the 422nd: they were air-droppable. Falling from the sky was their preferred method of joining battle. For centuries, the only practical way to do this was to leave the tanks behind and fight on foot, but with the advent of war balloons came a new and powerful heavy lift capability. The downside to this was that they could never be sure when resupply would come, so every man dropped with a short sword and a pack full of parts and tools. Food and water could be scavenged from the country-side once rations ran out, or at least that was what they had told him. The men could be pushed past their limits; that much he knew from training, but a war engine was much more finicky. It could not be inspired to greater feats or pumped up until it ignored its injuries. It had to be carefully maintained and fueled, and even then they sometimes broke down with little rhyme or reason. Mechanics were as precious as medics. Still, at least he didn't have to worry about the morale of a half ton chunk of metal. Tanks didn't have pride.

If the unit's battle kami could bridge the spirit world and speak to him, he wondered what it would say, if the ancestor spirits would be proud of what their men had become. Iroh knew he was harder on his group than any other CO. While he didn't particularly care what anyone thought of him, he was concerned as to whether this was right, or whether the other lieutenants had some method behind their allowing their men to take a night on the town. He shook the doubt from his mind. It didn't matter. Doubt was death. Preparedness was life. He would choose the latter, even if he stepped on a few toes in the process. Better to sweat in training than bleed in battle.

* * *

Sergeant Toranaga sat hunched over the table, where a leisurely game of six card draw was taking place amidst a choking haze of pipe smoke. They were all terrible at the game, but it was something to pass the time between rounds of drinks and the next conversation. Their little club met at every opportunity in this out of the way inn on one of the village's back streets. It was composed of every pay grade up to company CO, but nobody saluted or called each other by rank at this table. All were equals, defined by their past service to the unit. The newcomers and greenhorns who wandered over were politely directed to another table.

At present the topic was a well-worn subject: replacements.

"You won't believe it, but they actually stuck my platoon with a monk." Toranaga was saying, to guffaws.

"No kidding? Does he fight?" said a shifty-eyed corporal that everyone just called 'Sledge'.

"Oh yeah, he's not like the nomads or anything, but he's still pretty loopy. Can't get him to shut up about the Fire Sages sometimes."

"At least you've got somebody with conviction. I swear some of the kids they're handing me couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map." said Doc Shifty, a medic from Iota Company.

Lieutenant Zumi, a sallow-faced, thin man who had commanded Kai Company for over a decade, folded his hand, slapping the cards down on the table where they were quickly whisked away by the dealer.

"Some regimental CO is probably making bank off of rich noble families who want little Johnny to be first in line to become a brave soldier boy."

"Speaking of nepotism and bribery…" piped up Sergeant Wotan, a Kai Company platoon leader. "what's the verdict on Iroh? Sink or swim?"

There was a deep silence, and all eyes flicked to Zumi. Rank might not matter, but seniority did. The Lieutenant had been with most of them since the beginning and had the scars to prove it. It was a special understanding, which could only be forged in combat.

"So far? Swim. He's running Rho Company like it's his own personal guard, but I think once they stop hating him so damn much they'll realize he's doing them a favor."

"I hear he burned one of his men who fell asleep on watch." Shifty interjected.

"He's not doing them any favors running them ragged a week before we deploy." Toranaga said. "There is such a thing as over-training."

"It's not our place to pass judgment on the Fire Lady's kid." Zumi replied. "He's in the same place you all were ahead of your first combat drop, probably nervous as hell. I would be too, if I had all those expectations heaped on me."

Wotan shook his head.

"We don't have time to hold his hand and babysit him. He's been dropped in the deep end, and if he can't hack it he needs to step out of the way."

"You better be careful. You're talking about the next Fire Lord here, not some boot-fucked cadet fresh out of OCS." Zumi said "He comes from a long line of powerful fire benders. He'll either take to the water, or they'll reassign him to a supply detail and find somewhere quieter to put him, but for now, this is what he requested."

"He _**requested**_ this posting?" Sledge said, seemingly amazed.

"So did you, Sledge. Yes, he asked for it by name, or so I hear. Probably could have been made a Major on the spot if he so desired, but he wanted to start out where everyone else did."

"Well bless his little egalitarian heart." Shifty said sarcastically. "I'm truly honored that he would stoop to the level of us peasants."

"He'd have to stoop pretty far to get to your level, Shifty." Toranaga said, roughly tousling the hair on the sergeant's head.

"We'll see about that..." Shifty said sternly, ignoring the uproarious laughter.

* * *

Try as he might, Iroh could not clear his mind. The academy had been a frantic, frenzied activity, and at the end of each day he had easily wiped that days lessons from his head and committed to meditation in the way that the palace sages had taught him. Now, however, peace seemed impossible. He didn't understand why he could find inner harmony in a noisy dormitory that smelled of sweat and ashes, and yet not be able to find it here on the patio of a private dwelling that he had all to himself, overlooking a tranquil scene of pristine nature. The days of the week left until their deployment kept flashing through his head, and try as he might he could not view them impartially and let them drift away like he was supposed to.

A pair of footsteps behind him made him open his eyes and take to his feet. The sliding door opened, and Private Lee stepped out, snapping a crisp salute and handing him a letter.

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but the captain wishes to see you immediately."

Iroh nodded, taking the paper and returning the salute. He could tell already that Lee was going to be one of his bright stars. It was obvious to Iroh that he had lied about his age to join up, but so far he had shown that he could pull his own weight and then some. It also helped that Lee wasn't one of the older heads and so didn't resent his style of command since he had known nothing else.

It was a short walk down the street to Captain Rokon's quarters. He was a former sailor, promoted to this position in peace time, and as of yet the 422nd had never gone into combat under his tenure. Rokon was getting on in years, and he preferred the sauna to the war room most days, leaving the petty affairs of billeting and supply to his lieutenants.

The old man looked up from a sheet of calligraphy as Iroh entered. A bottle of saki and a finger bowl lay next to it. He returned the salute at leisure, and then gestured for him to sit down at the table, which Iroh did.

"Lieutenant, I trust this evening finds you well?"

"It does sir."

"Good. I have just received a report over the wires. Far to the east of here, in the midst of the Earth Kingdom is a Fire Nation colony by the name of Toko, the last of its kind. It has not sent word for some months now, and there have been several teams sent to ascertain its status. None have returned or been heard from since, dead or alive. It is a remote mining town in a remote province, but this is too much. The generals fear that some great evil has befallen our citizens there, and they have given to us the task of finding out what has happened." Rokon said.

A jolt of excitement burst into Iroh's body.

"Could it be the Earth Kingdom? Surely they-"

"No! You must not jump to conclusions. Deciding what the facts are before you have even seen the situation on the ground would be a grave mistake."

"Yes sir."

Rokon observed him pensively, and then got up from his chair.

"Come with me a moment."

Somewhat annoyed, Iroh uncrossed his legs and stood once again, following the elderly commander out to the back porch. He waited a moment in silence, and then Rokon spoke.

"I sense that you would like some advice."

Iroh nodded. He hadn't thought those words exactly, let alone vocalized them, but even a prince knew when he was in over his head.

"Look at the land. It is Tianxia, all that is under heaven, governed by one eternal law: everything that has a beginning must also have an ending. You remember your lessons from the academy, no?"

"Yes, I do." Iroh said, the impatience threatening to break into his voice. "There are three kingdoms, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of the underworld, and the middle kingdom, which is ruled by men."

"It is precisely the last kingdom that you must pay attention to." Rokon said, "I can feel your mind drifting out of the present, to the past and the future. You seek to compare or anticipate. This is wrong. Do not concern yourself with the glory of heaven or the fear of death, for it is only through your preparation now, in the middle kingdom, that you will be ready to attain honor and victory in battle."

Rokon paused, taking a deep swig of saki before continuing.

"The Fire Lord's Mongoose Dragons, the Fighting 422nd, are a proud bunch. I know you have rubbed some of them the wrong way, but I implore you not to take it personally, or attempt to become a father to your men, as you see other lieutenants doing. To treat them in such a way you must first come to know them as brothers, though combat. For now, do not alter your style of training. Do as you see fit, and do not let dissent trouble you. In fact, the only time you should be worried is when your men _**stop**_ complaining! Then you know you are in real trouble. The best advice I can give you is probably to listen to your non-commissioned officers. The ones that have been here longer know better than you do."

He stretched and yawned in a most unprofessional manner.

"Well, I am going to have to kick you out, lieutenant. I'm not feeling well and I need to sleep."

"Goodnight sir, I'll show myself out." Iroh said.


	3. Chapter 3 Calm Before the Storm

Zumi and Toranaga stood alone in the bedchamber, looking at the lump underneath the white linen bedspread that just six hours ago had been their captain.

"Toxicology tests are negative. No poison, no wounds, no sign of a struggle. I have to agree with Shifty, doesn't look like foul play to me."

Zumi's long, spidery fingers clenched and unclenched, a nervous habit.

"Old people die in their sleep all the time I suppose, but right before a deployment? You have to admit, this is fishy."

"Of course it is, but there's still no evidence that it was murder. At least we get the day off." Toranaga said. "Who's slated to replace him?"

"I'll give you three guesses, but you'll only need one."

Toranaga massaged his face with his hands.

"Oh spirits, you can't be serious…"

"Deadly. Iroh is the new battalion captain. The message came through just an hour ago."

"Do you think he's up for it?"

"I have no idea, but we have to give him a chance," Zumi said. "If he turns out to be a solid gold brick, well… I'll handle it personally. You have my word."

* * *

Iroh lovingly applied the lines of ink to create each stroke of every character. It was relaxing, to focus on nothing else except placing the next line in perfect synchronicity with the last.

_My dearest cousin,_

_I hope this letter reaches you without being censored, but I do not know how far royal privilege extends when it comes to state secrets. Our commander passed away peacefully in his sleep last night, and I have been promoted to his position. We will be departing for the Earth Kingdom soon, they won't give me an exact date but it will be within hours._

_It sounds like a humanitarian mission, but I have a feeling it's going to be more complicated than that. I will try to send you back a souvenir from the Earth Kingdom when I get a chance. Please tell your mother I said hi and am thinking of you all as I deploy. Hopefully I'll see you all again soon, and perhaps we can go to Ember Island and unwind a bit upon my return._

_Much love,_

_Iroh_

He signed his name with a flourish and crooned to the thick autumn air. A messenger hawk descended down from the rafters and lowered its head to allow him access to the tube on its back. It almost looked like it was bowing to him. He tucked the letter inside and stroked the bird's beautiful plumage once before sending it on its way.

Looking back down at his cluttered desk, he spotted a letter in his "in" pile that had the royal crest and stamp upon it. He fished this one out, wondering how it had not been delivered to him personally and opened it. The tone was more formal than he was used to. It was not a letter from mother to son; it was a letter from the Fire Lord to her vassal.

_Congratulations on your recent promotion, Captain Iroh._

_I have been following the Toko developments closely these past few weeks. The political situation on the ground is complex and volatile, and it will require a discerning mind to navigate._

_Once upon a time, Toko was a Fire Nation mining colony. The operation tapped iron and coal reserves deep beneath the surface, and was both run and managed by Fire Nation citizens. Today the reality is different. Toko is still our colony, but now the physical labor is done almost entirely by Earth Kingdom citizens under contract from the mine's administration. Thus, while this mission will take place on sovereign Fire Nation territory, it will involve the Earth Kingdom to a greater degree than you had probably anticipated. The Earth King will be watching these events carefully, and his agents are everywhere. If he feels his interests, or the interests of his citizens are in danger, he will not hesitate to interfere. _

_Relations between our two nations are as strained as they have ever been. Although you might not think so, this could easily spiral out of control into full scale war. You must be part of a new breed of officer, one that answers not only to his higher authorities but also to his conscience. It is up to you not only to achieve victory, but to bring balance. _

_I have every confidence in your ability, and so should you. Go forth and bring honor to the Fire Nation._

It was unsigned, save for a royal fire sigil. Iroh took a deep breath, folded the letter up, and placed it in his breast pocket. He had a feeling he would need it later.

He supposed he should be either terrified or excited or both, but he felt only a slight dread at the task ahead of him. Acceptance was the best way to approach it. Besides, hadn't the Fire Sages taught him that a man's last words were his truest? He hadn't known it at the time, but the captain's chat with him was probably the last he had with another living being.

Iroh shivered, despite the warmth of the day.

There was a sharp tapping behind him.

"Come in."

The door slid ajar and a voice called to him.

"Sir, the pre-mission briefing starts in ten minutes."

He stood up and followed the sergeant out into the light. The runway was a beehive of activity. Three dreadnaught-class war blimps were tethered on the grass by the hangers. Maintenance crews were strapping the armored vehicles down to their pallets and rolling them into the balloons' expansive cargo bay. The men were gathered on the concrete, going through all of their gear to make sure it was present and functional, very much like their earlier training, except that this time it was deadly serious. The results here would determine their lives in the field. He could feel their eyes boring holes into the back of his head as they crossed the airstrip and entered the control tower complex.

As soon as they entered, Iroh smelt a strong waft of alcohol and heard raised voices. He and the sergeant (Iroh was trying to remember his name. Was it Toronaga or Toranaga?) rounded the corner to find one obviously intoxicated corporal talking to a few of the supply company officers.

"All I'm saying is that it's mighty suspicious. We're on the eve of the first real op in years, the kid's the last one to see him that night and next morning he's dead as a doornail. If I didn't know better-"

"If you didn't know better, then what?"

Everybody froze, the supply crew looking like a herd of skunk-deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming train. Everybody that is, except for the corporal. He spun around.

"I said… If I didn't know better I would say you had poisoned him."

The man leaned in close, so that Iroh could smell the booze and pick out every untrimmed patch of stubble on his face.

"But I know better than that, because you and I both know you don't have the balls to do it."

Iroh didn't say anything. He was beyond words. Apparently taking this as a sign that he had cowed him, the man continued.

"You're just a spoiled brat who fancies himself a general, and you're going to get us all killed trying to be the hero. I know it, you know it, Toranaga here knows it…"

The sergeant, who had been standing as still as a statue watching this unfold now shifted his stance, stepping out from behind Iroh and grabbing the man by his untucked collar. With a surprising strength that Iroh hadn't believed his stocky frame contained, Toranaga shook the corporal like a dog worrying a gopher-snake.

"You are way out of line, soldier! You do not ever, EVER, talk to a commanding officer in that insolent, disrespectful manner! I should have you lined up against a wall and executed right now!"

"No."

Once again everybody froze and their eyes flicked to Iroh, even the corporal.

"There is only one way to settle this."

Toranaga released the man and let him slide roughly to the floor.

"Agni Kai." Iroh said.

* * *

General Yan watched the scene unfolding with a cruel glee. The two men walked slowly and purposefully down the runway in opposite directions. At fifteen paces each, they stopped, and knelt.

"Sir, is it really a good idea to have the men see this the day before-" his aide began, but Yan cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Corporal Degnan has made a stupid mistake, unworthy of our unit's battle kami. He must be made to pay for his transgression, or there will be no order. Besides, it will do the men good to see a real fight after months of sparring."

A terrible, pregnant silence fell over everyone assembled as the two combatants stood up and faced each other. Even the loaders had ceased their work to watch. There was a long pause, but Iroh did not move. Corporal Degnan let loose a series of fireballs, striding towards the newly minted captain with a total lack of fear. Iroh was a mountain in the face of the storm, calmly deflecting the gouts of flame as they grew larger and larger with the man's rage. The fire bent around the cut of his hand, passing over him but leaving nothing but pleasant warmth.

Realizing that none of his strikes were connecting, Degnan took a deep, panicked breath and exhaled. Iroh disappeared entirely behind a curtain of orange. Some of those assembled gasped, thinking that the sixteen year old child had met his match. The next moment, however, this flame too was twisting. It writhed and whirled until it resembled a tsunami of fire, with Iroh at its eye, controlling it. The borders of its wrath began to expand steadily, and the Corporal took several unsteady steps backwards, his cocky attitude vanishing like a wisp of grass vaporized by a forest fire.

The inferno morphed, and the circle was cut, directing all of the flame in one direction, which happened to be the one the corporal was now moving in. The wall caught him on the right side of his body, and his scream could be heard even above the cacophony of dissipating wind. The screams continued as the fire died away. Iroh turned and began to walk away, not bothering to look at his former opponent as he was dragged off towards a stretcher. One entire half of him had been singed, scorching his clothes and leaving weeping, angry red marks.

General Yan was the only one applauding.

"Excellent form! Excellent discipline! That boy could teach my students a thing or two about patience."

He tuned away along with the rest of the onlookers, who slowly moved back to their previous tasks, talking in low voices.

"Find someone to replace Degnan. He will be drummed out of the service tonight. Come. Let us see if young Iroh's strategy is as well developed in the war room as it is on the field of battle."

* * *

That night Iroh lay awake. His mind was not swimming with plans and maps as it usually was after a briefing, but rather the face of the corporal as he had realized he was done for. That look was more than simple fear, it was terror.

_How could he have been so stupid? _Iroh wondered. _It would not have turned out well for him even if he had defeated me._

When sleep finally came, his dream was vivid, alive with detail. It was a memory of a time almost a decade before. The nursery was spotlessly clean. All the toys had been picked off the floor and replaced in their chests by the maids. The candles had guttered down, and one window was open, letting in the chill night air and a hint of moonlight.

He was sitting on Zuko's lap. The old man had bitter tears in his eyes.

"And that… is where my search for your great grandmother, Ursa, came to an end."


	4. Chapter 4 Day of Days

(A/N: There are many different meters to traditional Japenese death poetry, but the most common meter was probably five-seven-five, known as a tanka. This was the kami-no-ku, or "upper phrase", and a second "lower phrase" (seven-seven), the shimo-no-ku, could be added. For example:

Autumn leaves tumble

Past fields of once bright flowers

And fallen soldiers

Do not mourn the dead my son

But thank fate that such men lived

Seeds planted in peace

Grow to promising young men

Eager pride stirs them

Curse war, the early harvest

Now fathers bury their sons

These would typically be composed on one of two occasions: when a warrior was going into a situation that he probably wouldn't survive, and when a warrior was _in_ a situation he **knew** he wouldn't survive.

Enjoy the chapter.)

It was even more beautiful than he remembered it. They had come in low, out of the northeast, taking three days to skirt around the most heavily patrolled areas of Earth Kingdom border. The people of the world had never entirely forgotten the harsh silhouettes of a squadron of Fire Nation war balloons. The memories there were too painful to let go of.

The verdant green strip grew larger and larger until it emerged out of the horizon. They continued to hug the terrain, their navigator making frantic course adjustments the whole while. Iroh's eyes were locked on the large map in front of him. Toko was nestled at the mouth of a shallow valley that led away and up into the mountains. Before it lay plains and grassy hills, dotted with stands of large evergreen trees. When he looked up, he saw the other Lieutenants were gathered around the table, watching him. Somehow a speech didn't feel appropriate at this point.

"Ten minute warning!" one of the bridge officers shouted down to them.

"The wind is coming in stronger than expected. Some of you are probably going to miss your landing zones. Be ready for anything once we hit the ground. Rally your men and meet up at the RV point, here."

Iroh leveled a ruler at Toko's center-most building.

"From there we can talk to the locals and find out what is going on. Any questions?"

There were none. Each man had been over the plan a thousand times in briefings, and in his own head as he lay awake at night. They were ready.

"Good. Get your platoons ready to jump. May the spirits look favorably on our venture."

* * *

Little Miso sat cross legged on the first branch of a tree, pouting. They had not had any food to eat besides what could be scavenged from the woods for the past three days. Berry mash and stale bread got old very quickly, especially when the result was so bitter and tasteless. It was so unfair. Before they had barely been treated like human beings by the mine administrators, and now they had to fend for themselves once again.

A low thumping noise distracted Miso from his sulk. It was distant at first, but grew in intensity until the trees reverberated with the sound. He looked up, and to his amazement saw three massive blimps emerge from behind a mountain, heading straight for them. As they got closer, he could make out the Fire Nation emblem on the side. He stood up and strained his young eyes to make out the details.

He could see ramps falling open and… people, yes, people jumping out. One after another they leapt from the moving gondola and tumbled like autumnal wing-seeds spiraling to earth. This was followed by several large packages. Huge, billowing parachutes opened, slowing the supplies and men down from terminal velocity. They spread over the terrain like ghostly jellyfish.

Miso hopped down from his perch and dashed back to the camp as fast as his legs would carry him. The earth was literally trembling beneath his feet. They were coming back.

"Yana! Yana!"

A young woman looked up from where she was splitting wood. Her features were fair and slender, but she possessed an innate toughness about her that one could only find at the bottom of a mine, pressed shoulder to shoulder with much stronger men.

"What is it Miso? Did you find another mouse-turtle for us to eat?"

"No, they're here!"

Yana understood instantly, and dropped the axe.

"We have to tell my father and wave them off, they can't land here! They'll lead those things right to us!"

"It's too late, they're already on their way down!" Miso replied, panic creeping into his voice.

"On their way… down?"

* * *

Iroh ripped off his parachute harness and conducted a three hundred and sixty degree threat scan. The rest of his chalk had landed next to him and were fumbling with their straps even as he stood.

There was far too much noise. Something was wrong. He could already hear the distant clash of swords and battle cries.

"Sergeant Toranaga! What the hell are we engaging?"

Toranga shrugged as his men fell in behind him.

"No idea. Probably whatever made those villagers dis-"

The next second he was interrupted by a tremendous rumble. A sort of badger-molehill emerged spontaneously from the ground, and out of it came a creature that Iroh had never seen before in his life.

It resembled a cave crawler, but it had two bladed front claws and no eyes that he could see. The third difference made itself apparent when the creature screeched, and brought down one of its legs, sending a ripple through the earth that knocked half of the men to the ground.

"These things can earth bend, watch yourself!"

The men regained their feet and fired back with gusto, glad for something to hit. They dispatched the creature, but another three crawled out of the hole to take its place. Iroh scorched one, driving it back until its abdomen was plugging the tunnel. He then removed its head with a blazing backhand stroke whilst the other two were similarly killed.

"Come on, we have to get to the vehicles!" Iroh shouted.

They sprinted down the hillside, following the trail of shattered trees until they located the pallet containing their vehicles. There were already two other crews sitting on top of this, and several more of the creatures circling them, hissing menacingly. Seeing that help had arrived the crews switched from defense to offense, driving the insects into Iroh's group where they were slaughtered like cattle.

"They don't seem to like fire." Toranaga remarked, "Some sort of cave dweller, perhaps?"

"Now we know what happened to Toko." Iroh said, looking around and trying to take stock of their circumstances. "Wait a minute… where is the command tank?"

The pallet in front of them was slightly longer than the standard one, as it had been designed to squeeze on an extra item: Iroh's personal armored vehicle, which had traded its offensive capabilities for a powerful radio system and telescopic sights. The space where it would have been, however, was empty.

"It got jostled loose and fell when we landed. Probably upside-down in a ditch somewhere." One of the crewman said.

Iroh sighed. _Of course it is. That would have been too easy._

"Please tell me you have a radio."

"Right here, sir. As soon as we get these things running we can access the command net."

"Then what are you standing around for? Let's go, mount up! Double time!"

The men wrenched open the hatches and crawled down into the war machines, their comrades severing the ropes with their katanas. One by one they roared to life, twin clouds of black smoke shooting from their exhaust manifolds. They had barely gone a few yards when three more mounds appeared, disgorging dozens of crawlers.

Time grew slow. His adrenaline spiked. They would either win here, or they would all die. This was the real thing. The lead two tanks accelerated, crushing bugs underneath their cruel treads. They swerved, and parked directly atop two of the holes in an attempt to stem the tide. They spat fire in all directions, but for every one they took out there was more, an unending tide.

The two tanks that had taken up blocking positions above the holes shook and rattled, until the pressure from below grew too great. A huge spike of rock speared one of them right through the cab, flipping it over onto its neighbor. An errant spark caught the fuel line, and there was a violent explosion, tossing both of them like toys. Some of the crew managed to crawl out of the hatches when they came to rest, trying in vain to put out the inferno that had engulfed them.

Iroh had no time to think about their deaths. His own death was bearing down on him with frightening speed. He sliced at it, and it lunged, knocking him on his back. His sword skidded out of his reach and he rolled, trying to avoid the scythe-like appendages that stabbed the ground where he had just lain. Just as he was certain he would be skewered and all his men devoured alive, a flying boulder smashed into the crawler's head. Its chitinous wings popped out of their casings, fluttering like a spider-fly caught in its own web. A single out-stretched hand entered his field of vision. It was slender, but covered in calluses. He looked up and saw that its owner was a girl not much older than him.

"Well? Are you going to sit there all day soldier-boy, or are you going to help me?"

He pushed himself up, ignoring the hand, and saw that several more earth benders were coming out of the trees to assist them. Together they drove the creatures back, and the new arrivals plugged the holes with boulders and chunks of earth.

"My name's Yana. And you're welcome."

Iroh shook her hand reluctantly.

"I'm Iroh. I guess we could use some help. Sergeant Toranaga, report!"

"We're down two tanks and ten men; the enemy could be back at any moment. Orders, sir?"

Yana turned from the grizzled sergeant to him and back again, looking puzzled.

"Wait a minute… you're in charge here?"

"That's right." Iroh said, hopping up onto the back of one of the tanks. "If you ask politely, I just might give you and your friends a lift into town."

"Oh is that where you're headed?" Yana replied somewhat sarcastically, accepting his hand up onto the body of the vehicle and turning to help lift some other civilians on.

"Yep. That's our RV point."

"What's a Harvey point?" a little boy asked, scooting up next to them.

"This is my cousin, Miso." Yana said. "My father is the mine foreman, or was, before this happened. He's waiting for you in the village."

"Well Miso, RV is short for Rendezvous." Iroh said. "It's an old word, from the-"

At that moment there was another rumble. This one was not a short and sweet affair however. Once it began it continued to get louder and louder and louder, until Iroh thought that the sky would certainly shake loose from the earth. A massive, ugly head jutted out of the soil just a few hundred yards to their rear. It thrashed and struggled, staking the ground with its front mandibles as though trying to pull some gargantuan bulk to the surface. Toranaga made the sign of the monks across his chest.

"Spirits save us…"

Iroh, however, had the presence of mind to remember that the spirits were not coming to save them, and that they would have to do it themselves. He tapped frantically on the top of the mortar tank's turret, and its commander popped out.

"What do you need, Captai- HOLY CRAP!"

"Yeah I know, I see it too, trust me. Just hand me the radio!"

Yana looked at him as though he had lost his mind and was jabbering.

"What are you going to do with that, throw it at him?"

Iroh had no time to explain.

"Overwatch, this is dragon one-five, requesting fire mission, immediate suppression, thirty rounds high explosive! Target that… that big… whatever the hell that thing is!"

The answer crackled back from the blimps high above. The calmness of the operator annoyed him somewhat, although he supposed it was better than panicking.

"Roger that one-five, we can see the ugly bastard now. Fire mission is granted, all guns in effect. Hold on to your hats, gentlemen."

The pause between the time the order went out and the time the guns swiveled onto their target seemed an eternity. There was a distant thumping, like a massive pillow being punched many times in quick succession. Invisible death whistled down from the heavens.

The ground around the creature exploded, massive plumes of earth and flame shooting skywards. The shockwave rushed across the clearing and knocked them all flat against the hull of the tank. The monster recoiled, letting out a piercing scream that made everyone cover their ears and cower. Then, like a mealworm it slithered back underneath the scorched ground, its lackeys fleeing with it.

The noise of the radio broke the long, eerie silence that followed.

"Rounds complete one-five. It looks like they're retreating."

Iroh pressed the headset to his ear.

"Maybe they are, and maybe they aren't. Stay alert. Ground teams, sound off!"

There was a long pause before the replies came in. Both of them sounded breathless.

"Iota Company's all here sir, no casualties. We're on our way into town right now."

"Kai Company's inbound as well. We lost all our mortar tanks on the way in. There are six wounded, but other than that we're combat effective."

Iroh looked around at his own company. Several more tanks had ventured out of the tree line and joined up with their formation while they were retreating, but there were still only seven.

"Where the hell is the rest of Rho Company?"

His fingers strained around the metal handholds as the tank mounted a small boulder and continued on. Toranaga shrugged.

"If they aren't responding to radio, they're probably gone. No time to mount a search party anyway, those bugs could be back at any minute."

"They're not bugs." Yana said.

"What?"

"They're not bugs. I don't know exactly what they are, but we've seen them before. They live deep in the mine shafts. They're blind; they sense people through their earth bending. That's why we ran into the forest; the leaf litter muffles the vibrations from our footsteps. Normally we leave them alone and they leave us alone, but… I don't know. Something must have set them off."

"Like an entire armored battalion falling out of the sky?" Toranaga suggested.

"No, this was before that. It all happened so fast, one minute I was sitting out in the yard, the next thing I know I'm running for my life and these things are swarming all over."

"You don't have to worry anymore." Iroh said. "We're here to evacuate you."

"What, do you want me to thank you? I've lived in this village my whole life. I'm not leaving just because it's convenient for you."

Something in Iroh snapped. He was shouting before he even knew he had opened his mouth.

"Convenient? You think this is convenient for me? Traveling a thousand miles and sacrificing the lives of my men to save a bunch of ungrateful peasants? If you like being dead so much you should have said so before we flew all the way out here to rescue you! I wouldn't have bothered to come at all!"

Yana looked furious, but she said nothing and looked away. The rest of the ride was passed in complete silence.

Toko was definitely the worse for wear. Almost every façade along the main road through town had been crushed or caved in by rocks. Sodden papers and belongings littered the ground. The streets were completely empty as they moved up towards the low hill where the town hall was perched. The other companies were gathered around the base of the hill, milling around. Lieutenant Zumi approached him as he dismounted, and they saluted.

"Sir, we found several dozen villagers out in the woods. We gave them rations and water, but some of them need more help than my medics can provide. We found the mine administrators, too, they were all holed up in the top floor of the town hall."

"Cowards." Yana muttered. "They only sheltered fire benders. The rest of us had to fend for ourselves."

"Regardless of whether that is true or not-" Iroh began, his temper flaring again.

He was interrupted by a murmur of voices. Some people were crying out. The villagers gathered around something on the ground, and one of them called to Yana. Iroh followed in her wake as the villagers made way for her. The object of their attention was a middle aged man lying dead on the ground. His rough-hewn face was completely relaxed, almost calm-looking. He could have been sleeping, if not for the open eyes and large red gash on his chest. Yana dropped to her knees, cradling the man's head in her arms and sobbing uncontrollably. It wasn't hard to guess who he was.

"Yana, I'm sorry." He said, truthfully.

"Get away from me!" Yana screamed. "Everything was fine until you came! We were doing just… just fine…"

Zumi tapped Captain Iroh on the shoulder.

"Sir? One of my patrols just came in. They found the rest of Rho Company."

Iroh's heart sank. He knew what this meant.

"Where are they?"

Lieutenant Zumi pointed to a mostly intact house at the corner of the two largest streets.

"We put them in there. I've got a double guard on them."

"Good. Tell the men to escort the civilians into the town hall and to start digging entrenchments. We don't know when we could be attacked again."

There wasn't much left of the bodies. Some of them were intact, but several were simply a collection of the largest pieces that could be found. Iroh sat upon a ruined table, looking down on the blood-red casualty bags, each stamped with the Fire Nation insignia. They yawned up at him, their voices calling out from beyond the grave.

He had allowed the guards to take a short break while he examined their charges. He had seen dead bodies before, but it was different when he was responsible for them. In some way, he felt like he himself had killed them. Mentally, he reviewed the whole drop again. Had he done something wrong? Should he have tried to raise the whole company earlier?

_No_, he realized,_ I did everything I was supposed to do. This is war. People die._

Still, he did not feel much better. This wasn't a war. Not really, anyway. They were fighting a force of nature, a mindless pest. Where was the honor in that?

A small marmalade cat entered his field of vision. It had been sleeping on top of a tarp, one of the only dry places in the whole village. Everything else was coated with a layer of evening dew, deposited by the light fog that had drifted down out of the mountains and settled around them. It arched its back and stretched luxuriously, observing him with a pair of lazy golden eyes as though it had not a care in the world.

"It must be nice," Iroh said, reaching out his hand to scratch it between the ears as it passed him, "not having to worry about all this."

"I'm sure Butter is worried." A voice from behind him said. "She just has a funny way of showing it."

Iroh cast a glance over his shoulder, and saw the marmalade cat rubbing up against Yana's legs. He turned back and set his chin down on his folded arms again, somewhat annoyed. What could she possibly want from him? Not dissuaded by his stony demeanor, Yana came and sat down beside him, following his gaze down to the body bags.

"I came to apologize." She said. "I didn't realize that you lost people too."

He remained silent. Perhaps she would leave.

"How old are you?"

"You first." He said, reluctantly.

"It's not polite to ask a woman her age, but I'll tell if you tell."

Iroh shot her a searching glance. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but otherwise she seemed remarkably even keeled for someone who had just lost a father.

"I'll be seventeen this winter."

Yana whistled.

"You're sixteen? So how did you end up in command? You a noble's son or something?"

Iroh couldn't contain a smirk.

"You could say that."

"Well, I guess that makes sense. You did seem pretty stuck up… kidding! Just kidding!" She said, grinning at his expression of outrage.

"Can I ask you a question?" Iroh said. "Why are you so perky?"

She looked confused for a second, and then realized what he was talking about.

"I don't know. It's just the way I handle it. Like Butter, here. Looking at her, you wouldn't know anything had gone wrong."

Yana stroked the feline at the base of the tail, eliciting a throaty purr.

"Plus I've had to deal with it before. My mother died in a cave in when I was five."

"She worked in the mines too?"

"Of course, that's how they met. Both my parents came here from Omashu because there was no work good-paying work in the city any more."

They both lapsed into silence for a time, and Iroh continued to stare at the casualty bags. At some point Yana got up.

"You can't spend time on might-have-beens. Trust me, those will drive you crazy. You just have to put it out of your mind and accept that this is what has happened."

Iroh nodded and got up as well. He had had enough.

"You should come to the town hall, meet some of the people you're rescuing. It will make you feel better." Yana said.

Iroh opened his mouth to refuse, and then closed it again.

"Sure. I'd like that."

* * *

High above the landscape, a messenger hawk swooped down towards the mountainside. A familiar smell was wafting through the air, and the raptor's sharp nostrils followed it down, and into a clearing on the edge of the tree line, where the forest finally gave way to the steep granite slopes of the mountain.

A pair of figures was sitting on a rock ledge that provided them a perfect angle down into the village of Toko. One of them had a disemboweled rat clutch in a gloved hand. The hawk swooped down and snatched it, wolfing it down while its master opened the small capsule strapped to its back.

One of the men was younger than the other. They wore the toughly woven silk breeches and tunics of the Dai Li. Both of them were covered in a thick costume of leaves and foliage which had been secured to their clothing with glue.

"Take this down. Enemy has been located and visually confirmed. They are at least division strength, perhaps more. Several formations of tanks spotted as well as three airships tethered just outside of town, but so far no sign of infantry. They are occupying the village and the high ground, and have started to construct fortifications, but are still in a weak defensive posture, not expecting contact. Several hundred civilians are being held, including Earth Kingdom citizens."

The younger agent scribbled the message down upon a piece of paper and rolled it up tightly, stuffing it into the hawk's container. The bird snapped its beak and let out a low crooning noise.

"I am sorry Akula, I don't have any more." The older man replied, stroking her neck. "I will catch three for when you return. I promise."

It screeched and flew away, disappearing into the darkening sky. The older man retrieved his binoculars and continued to watch the town.

"Whoever is leading those men does not comprehend the idea of light discipline. He is either very green, or very foolish."

"Or it is a trap." The younger man said.

The older man nodded sagely.

"Or it is a trap."

* * *

"Hey, can I bum a smoke?"

Sergeant Toranaga turned to find one of the mine administrator's guards standing behind him.

"Sure thing." He said, reaching inside the curve of his raiment for his thoroughly squashed pack of issue cigarettes.

They both lit up, ignoring the fact that they were indoors, and struck up a conversation.

"So you were with Admiral Yen at Song Island?"

"Yep. They ran out of paychecks during the siege so we were being reimbursed in whiskey and roast duck for a while there. Some of the other men complained, but I didn't really mind. I didn't have a family to send money home to yet."

"Yeah… things have really changed. They're a lot more by-the-book now. The old rebels like Yen and Takamori were all politely shown the door."

"And replaced with children, I see." The guard said.

Toranaga followed his gaze up to the second floor balcony that overlooked the large hall. Iroh was leaning against the railing, chatting with a rather pretty girl from the village.

"Unbelievable." Toranaga said, shaking his head. "We're neck deep in the shit, and this kid still has time to hit on the local chicks."

"That's the Fire Lord, right? Maybe he's got the right idea."

"Future Fire Lord." Toranaga said. "Until then he's our problem."

"Got you here in one piece, though, didn't he?"

"Mostly. I guess he did okay for his first time. I'd still rather have Takamori leading me."

"Ah well," the guard said with an exaggerated sigh, blowing a series of thick blue smoke rings, "beggars can't be choosers."

* * *

It was an incredible experience. Talking to her seemed the most natural thing in the world. It was like he'd known her his whole life. Most people could tell instantly that he was royalty from the way he conducted himself and treated him accordingly, but if she had figured out who he was, she didn't seem to care in the slightest. He felt strangely exhilarated, as though he had found some great secret or hidden treasure.

Down in the hall the survivors had split into two groups, Fire Nation on one side, Earth Kingdom on the other. Even so, Iroh wasn't thinking about old hostilities now. He had other things on his mind.

"My dad used to tell me stories about how the fire benders would heat the rock, and the earth benders would separate the valuable ore from the chaff. Now it's all done by machines of course."

"Was there always his much bad blood?" Iroh asked, scratching his chin pensively.

He could see this petty disagreement becoming a problem when they went to evacuate.

"For the administration? Yes. They were always iron-fisted and heartless. The Eastern Trading Company made them adopt cruel policies towards the workers. They got their money's worth out of us, but back then there were fire benders who were working in the mines too. We had a kinship, an understanding. Now it's just us." Yana said.

She selected a book from one of the ornately carved shelves that lined the walls, and turned to him.

"Come with me a moment. I want to show you my favorite spot in the whole village."

Iroh did not refuse.


	5. Chapter 5 Our Best Laid Plans

(A/N: The price of peace is war. The wages of sin is death. The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance. How many men? How many lives? As many as it takes, lieutenant.)

A cool morning breeze was blowing through the shattered front door and into the hall, causing everyone to clutch their blankets and sleeping rolls tighter. Somehow Iroh had ended up in the middle of the floor, between the two groups. Lieutenant Zumi had offered him a mostly intact house to sleep in, but he had declined. Now was not the time for royal detachment. He rolled over quietly and looked at Yana. She was still sleeping, her gentle breathing leaving a patch of moisture on the floor that gleamed in the early morning sunlight streaming in from the window.

He got up and went to the outer balcony, where the other ranking officers were brewing coffee inside a helmet. They saluted him, and he saluted back with a bit of a twinge. He had managed to fall asleep in his armor, and was now stiff and uncomfortable all over. A massive shadow passed over him. For a moment he thought it was a cloud, but the he realized it was one of the three airships tethered to the town hall's lightning rod.

"Sir, I think you should take a look at this." Zumi said, handing him a pair of binoculars and pointing.

Iroh scanned the hillside. At first he could see nothing, but then he had realized that the moving green that he had taken for grass was… people.

Earth benders in traditional uniform, accompanied by dozens of their millipede-like tanks. The ground was already trembling ever so slightly.

"What am I looking at?"

"125th Mountain Division, Overwatch spotted them on the ridge before dawn. About 5500 of the leanest, meanest fighters they can scratch out of the rocks of the Earth Kingdom's frontier provinces. They've put down more peasant uprisings than the whole rest of the army put together. They say this was the unit that stopped the Dragon of the West from breaching Ba Sing Se."

"Nonsense." Iroh said. "My great great uncle abandoned the siege because he was devastated over the loss of his son, not because a bunch of meathead rock-tossers scared him off."

There was a general chuckle at this.

"Well I guess we don't have anything to worry about then." Zumi said.

"Oh, we've got plenty to worry about." Iroh replied, taking a second look through the binoculars. "The general is in the lead of the formation and he's holding a white flag. Either he's coming to surrender or we're about to be talked to death."

"The most horrible way to die indeed." Zumi said, tasting the coffee with a spoon and wincing.

"You know, you should really take the liner out before you start cooking in it." Toranaga said, also taking a taste.

"Force of habit. I can't drink my joe anymore without a little leather taste in it. Plus it loosens up the straps on the new brain buckets nicely."

* * *

Sentak was roughly hewn, like a boulder. He and his men had met their procession inside one of houses on the edge of town. Iroh had met generals like him in every army, including his own. They followed a familiar mold: ruthless careerists that had finally been promoted beyond their skill level, but whose connections were simply too good to get rid of. For some reason, they almost all seemed to be overweight to some degree. All of them possessed an incredible, god-like ego.

"You have it all wrong. This is nothing more than a humanitarian mission."

"A likely story. The Fire Nation has always used the 'training exercise' excuse to cover its deployments. Why should this be any different?" Sentak said.

"There has been a dangerous outbreak of pests in this area, we are evacuating all civilians. You should consider evacuating yourself, before you put your men in danger."

"Hah! The only pests evacuating will be you and your so-called soldiers. You have twenty four hours to leave this area, or you will be destroyed. I am Sentak, third proxy to the Earth King himself. This is my ultimatum."

Then Iroh did something very foolish, which he would think back on with a twinge of regret for the rest of his life. He lost his temper.

"No, what you are is a pompous, blustering old fool, at the head of an army of peasant conscripts. I am the heir to the Fire Lords. This is **my **ultimatum: You have twenty four hours to leave **my** valley, or I will put my boot _so far up your ass_, it will knock your crooked little teeth out. Am I making myself clear?"

Sentak was too shocked to do anything for a few seconds, but then a look of utter rage crossed his face and he stormed out, his bodyguard leaving with him.

"I will take that as a no." Iroh muttered, to himself.

* * *

"How dare he directly defy the Earth King's mandate!" Sentak fumed to his silent guards as he climbed back inside the caterpillar tank. "He must know that there can be only one answer to this insolence…"

The soldiers at the front and back placed their feet to patches of bare ground that lay exposed through the armor and began to push the vehicle forward. All of a sudden, there was a massive vibration, as though a cannonball had just ricocheted off of their hull.

* * *

"Does he believe us now, I wonder?" Iroh said, watching through the binoculars as a swarm of earth crawlers emerged and began circling the general's tank, snapping at it.

"I don't think he particularly cares what the truth is, as long as he gets to fight his mortal enemy." Zumi said. "I know Sendak from previous experience. He is stubborn in the extreme, which we can easily use against him."

"I hope you are right. He has a lot more men up there than we do."

As they watched, another formation of Earth Kingdom tanks swooped in to rescue their leader, disgorging infantry to occupy the creatures while the general's tank sailed back up the hill to the safer ground. Iroh turned away from the balcony and walked down the stairs back into the town hall.

"First things first though. We need to secure a land evacuation route out of here, and that can't happen until we plug those bugs in their holes."

"Sir, permission to disagree?" Zumi said.

"Granted."

"What about the airships? The crawlers are pinning us down, but they're also keeping the Earth Kingdom from closing with us and whopping our ass. We should take advantage of that and fly away while we have the chance."

"Yeah, I thought about that too, but we can't. High Command will want the undamaged tanks retrieved, and we aren't running a passenger service. Those gondolas are rated to a certain number of men and machines. The margin of error is very low."

"Those tanks weigh thousands of pounds. For every one we've lost we could fit ten or twenty people on board." Zumi replied insistently. "It would still be a good idea to calculate how many of the old and wounded we could airlift out. The journey on foot will go much faster without having to worry about them keeping up."

They rounded the corner into the common area, where several lines were forming around large cast-iron cooking pots that had been hauled out of the mess area. A crackling fire was going under each, but only the pot captained by Doc Shifty was at a full boil. He sampled the broth gingerly and reached down to the towel on his left for more ingredients. The smell was driving Iroh's stomach crazy.

"Alright, do it, but calculate carefully. Unless Sendak is a complete moron, which I do not for a moment believe, he will be moving to surround as we speak. If one of the blimps is too heavy, you won't be able to climb out of the range of his rocks when we cross over their lines. He'll pick you out of the sky and you'll loose everybody onboard that ship."

"Understood, I'll take care of it."

Iroh looked pensively out over the collected masses of humanity. He carefully weighed each option.

"I will be taking a small, hand-picked team down into the mine shafts. My instinct tells me the crawlers have a single point of entry into the caverns. The miners must have broken into their hive and disturbed them, because no one's ever seen them above ground before now. We'll need a pretty big bang to seal it up, though."

Zumi's scarred face contorted in a rather frightening grin.

"I have just the thing."

* * *

Yana tried not to let the anxiety on her face show as she stepped outside and walked over to stand with the group of soldiers gathered in the town square beside one of their metal war machines. They were watching the skies as though waiting for something, and some were talking quietly. They looked over at her approach, examining the two people she had brought with her. One was an old man with a stained beard and twinkly eyes. The other was Miso's older brother, a dark-haired lad who was almost of legal age.

"Iroh, these are the earth benders I'm bringing with me. The old-timer is Master Ku, and the younger one is Dao."

Iroh cast the boy a piercing gaze.

"The other guy is fine, but we can't take the kid. It's going to get hairy down there."

"Who are you calling kid? You're only a year older than I am!" Dao protested.

"We don't have time for this…"

"Actually, we do. If you walk into those shafts right now you and your men will almost certainly die. You should wait until the nighttime, when they are cold and sluggish." Yana said. "… and Dao might not look like much, but he's one of the best benders in the village."

"That may be, but what am I supposed to tell your family when we haul your lifeless corpse to the surface?"

Yana cringed.

"Nothing. Miso will understand. He's the only family I have left." Dao said, his fists clenching.

Iroh nodded.

"Fair enough. Meet us by the eastern gate tonight, be ready."

Dao and Master Ku departed, Dao trying to hide his obvious excitement.

"Lieutenant Zumi, what's the progress on our package?"

Instead of replying, Zumi reached inside the tank turret and withdrew the fat black field phone.

"Overwatch, this is Dragon 2-5 actual, drop the payload."

Yana watched in amazement as a small speck tumbled from one of the airships and hurtled towards the ground. Its parachute unfolded, and it drifted down to a perfect landing just a few feet away.

"Good drop Overwatch, payload received."

"Roger your recovery 2-5 actual, Overwatch One is returning to holding pattern."

* * *

Iroh unfastened the clasps with the hilt of his saber and pulled open the lid of the crate. Inside was an uneven black sphere mounted on a stretcher-like carrier designed to be strapped to a soldier's back.

The thermobaric device was an old and terrifying weapon, and its design had changed little since it was first introduced, shortly after the first Chrysanthemum Rebellion. The inner shell was composed of two things; a large container of gaseous accelerant that was kept in a liquid state under pressure. The second was an ignition charge. When it went off, the gas would disperse over an area of about a hundred yards in diameter. Then the charge would ignite this cloud of volatile fuel, and the resulting combustion would create an incredibly powerful wave of heat, light and pressure. Anything in range at the moment of detonation would be crushed beneath debris, burned alive, or suffocated as all of the air rushed away from the center of the blast and then back as the vacuum collaped.

Iroh had seen the horrifying effects of the bomb firsthand. Stockpiles were maintained at the division level. Each battalion was only allowed to field one at a time, and under strict orders to use it once it was deployed, to minimize the possibility of its sensitive design falling into enemy hands.

"You're going to bring down the whole mine?" Yana said. "You're going to destroy the livelihood of an entire village?"

"This area is going to be uninhabitable for a long time, whatever happens. Someone else with more men and equipment is going to have to clean the area properly of these creatures, besides-" Iroh said, gesturing around at the ruined buildings "there honestly isn't much left for you to go back to. Evacuation is the best option right now."

"Where will you take us?"

"The Fire Nation citizens will go east, over the mountains and to the sea. There are boats waiting to take them away. As for the Earth Kingdom subjects, I haven't really thought it through. There is a causeway that leads directly to Ba Sing Se not far from here…"

Yana looked mortified.

"So you'll just turn us loose? Wherever the wind takes us?"

"We'll leave you with as many rations and supplies as we can spare, but yes, you might have to rely on the kindness of strangers for a while, at least until the village is verified safe and rebuilt. It could take months for me to convince High Command to commit more troops to this area, if I can do it at all. They will be reluctant to provoke the Earth King with further deployments."

"That's not a solution…" Yana said, crossing her arms.

"I know. If you think of a better one in the next twenty four hours, I'm all ears."

That evening the soldiers left the hall and camped just outside the structure. Every company was on 100% watch, with a sentry keeping guard for each vehicle at all times. The rest slept inside their tanks, or on the hard ground around them, the hatches open to allow them to scramble inside in case of emergency.

Some of their fire benders who were now without tanks were 'volunteered' for the mission into the cave. None of them complained. They simply saluted, packed up their gear, and walked up onto the steps of the city hall to have a quick smoke, perhaps their last.

He had turned command of the surface over to Zumi. There would be no radio contact while they were underground. It made him very nervous, to leave his men at this moment, but being close to Yana had a strange calming effect. She put him at ease.

They both sat on the balcony railing, their long legs dangling over the edge, swaying gently.

"What will you do if General Sentak decides to attack?" she asked.

"I'll do what I have to do."

Yana playfully slugged him in the shoulder. He didn't flinch, but it took a bit of effort. She was quite strong.

"That's not an answer! What are you going to do if he storms down that mountainside right this minute?"

Iroh scratched his chin thoughtfully, watching the crest of the hill where the enemy encampments lay, their fires carefully concealed except for the occasional flicker.

"Thousands of years ago, the Fire Nation was like the Earth Kingdom, composed of many separate tribes, each perpetually at war with one another. It was a period of strife, and suffering. Life for the commoner was short and bitter. The daimyos controlled the land and the seas, and taxed them both heavily. It was my ancestor who united the squabbling Fire Sages and their warlords under the banner of one nation. He was the first Fire Lord."

He could see that she was wondering what in the nine realms this had to do with defeating an army, but she was like him. A storyteller. She listened without interrupting.

"It has been a long time since that day, but our people have never forgotten the way of the sword."

He unsheathed his saber, flipping his legs back onto solid ground and assuming a combat stance.

"One of the first techniques taught to any pupil is his grip. The hilt is held up high, with the right hand by his right ear, and his left hand by his mouth. In this way the full length of the blade is concealed from your opponent… until it is time to strike."

With a flick of the wrist he sent the blade whistling down onto the wooden table that had been set up, cleanly bisecting a brass teapot from top to bottom.

Yana chuckled.

"You could have just said 'I'm going to ambush and then beat the snot out of them'."

Iroh placed the sword back in its sheath.

"And miss a perfectly good chance to be melodramatic? I don't think so."

The sound of footsteps made them turn. It was Zumi.

"Sir? It's time to go."


	6. Chapter 6 Cry Havoc

**Chapter 6 – Cry Havok**

(A/N: A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.)

They sprinted across the open field towards the rough hills of the quarry, their footsteps muffled by early morning dew. There had been no briefing, there was no time. They had met at the edge of the village and departed in silence, the two earth benders carrying the bomb on a floating slab of rock. The platform tilted slightly as they bounded over the crumbling walls of the mining operation and slid down the massive piles of shale. The main shaft had been collapsed entirely, but the cargo elevator at the far end of the yard still looked functional, not to mention large enough to fit them all in one trip. The lack of bugs was starting to make him anxious

"There. Can we get down to the mine level from there?" he said, pointing to the cargo shaft.

Yana shrugged.

"I don't know, I've never used it. Once we get below the surface, I can tell you where we're going."

Iroh tugged at the chain link gate, but it was firmly secured with chain and padlock.

"I think the foreman has the-" Yana began, but Iroh held up a hand.

"Stand back."

Everyone heeded his advice. There was a burst of fire and the lock dropped to the ground, a smoking heap of slag, the chain slithering after it.

"…or you could just destroy it." Yana said with a sigh.

He motioned them all forward.

"People first, then the bomb."

They crowded inside, reminding Iroh of a bunch of drunken scholars he had once seen trying to squeeze into a single fortune-telling booth. When they were all inside, Dao and Master Ku gingerly maneuvered the device in after them. The moonlight glinted off its shell as it slid into the space with them. Someone shut the door, and they began to descend, the chains creaking somewhat, as though they had not been cleaned or oiled in some time.

"Can you all give me a bit of room? Sergeant, a light?"

A small flame appeared in Toranaga's palm, which he held next to Captain Iroh's ear as Iroh examined the bomb's control surface.

"I think, just to be sure, we should turn it up to maximum dispersion. That way the blast will reach every little nook and cranny of these tunnels."

"It'll be like frying popcorn." Toranaga quipped as Iroh cranked a dial from one end of its scale to the other.

He took a deep breath, and gave the two exposed contacts a jolt of lightning. A small green light winked to life.

"There. It's armed."

It probably wasn't necessary to add that last bit. They all stood watching the bomb nervously as the levels continued to clack past. Suddenly, there was a much louder clank, and the box ground to a halt.

"What happened?" Iroh asked immediately, conscious of the fact that they were now in a small metal coffin surrounded by possible points of attack on all sides.

"It's jammed! The chain must be rusted out!" Dao said.

"Then I'm going to cut it. Master Ku, can you and Dao get this thing to the bottom?"

"Yes." Ku said simply.

One of Iroh's men opened the top hatch and broke the chains with fire, one at a time. Ku and Dao brought two wedges of stone out of the walls beneath them, and soon they were moving downwards again. The ride was less smooth, but he didn't mind. When they hit the floor of the shaft, Iroh forced the gates open and charged out.

A cluster of earthcrawlers were waiting for them, mandibles clicking hungrily. Iroh ran one through with his katana, kicking it back and slicing open the tough carapace of another, only to fill the festering wound with fire, cooking the creature alive in its own shell like a lobster.

The fumes of the fighting quickly became overwhelming as they proceeded, so Iroh had the earthbenders cut a shaft to the surface so that the putrid smoke could escape. It was still not very pleasant, but he was surprised to see how close the surface was. He had assumed they were miles below, but the distance was only a few hundred yards.

The going was slow and dangerous. The tunnel twisted and turned, growing only a little wider as they continued. Yana was often in the front, smashing the accumulated corpses a little farther forward every time they threatened to block their progress.

Soon the tunnel widened out abruptly, forking into three separate paths. A group of the bugs turned at their approach, but wisely fled before the flames. Yana pointed to the middle tunnel.

"That way. I can feel the queen up ahead."

The middle tunnel was quite a bit wider than the others, taller too. An entire war balloon could have fit through with some difficulty. Their footsteps imprinted on top of deep grooves cut by ore trucks that now lay abandoned at regular intervals, their chassis corroded by the damp air. The fire in their hands illuminated a large blast crater that had fractured the rock and revealed a huge natural cavern. The light glistened off the waxy hexagons of nesting grubs and cast strange, flickering shadows as the crawlers scuttled across the walls and towards the disturbance.

"This must be where they broke through…" Yana said with awe.

The queen let out a petulant roar at the sight of them, and now the whole hive was alive with activity. Iroh gave the order to throw grenades. They pulled the pins and tossed them in one after another until there were no more, like fruit going to market. The explosions rocked through the cave, blowing wind in their faces and kicking up dust. A dozen crawlers drew even with their tunnel and pulled their pale bodies into it, screaming bloody murder in their strange chittering tongue. Ku and Dao set the bomb down as gently as they could and bended the hole shut with a foot-thick layer of granite.

"Set the timer. Five minutes." Iroh said, and Corporal Sledge leapt to it.

The makeshift barrier began to shake as though it was being pounded on with a battering ram, and fractures forked across its surface. Master Ku's face contorted with the strain of keeping it in place. Just as Sledge finished calibrating the bomb, the walls exploded.

Crawlers spilled out of either side, burrowing through the softer earth to get around their obstruction. A scythe-like claw speared Sledge through the gut and flung him like a ragdoll, knocking down two other soldiers who didn't make it to their feet before the crawlers were on them. Iroh worked furiously back and forth, keeping the bugs away with the length of his katana and shouting orders to the rest of his men. They managed to grab their dead and continue down the corridor just as the granite slab was shattered entirely. Crawlers poured through, and as quickly as they could incinerate them, more climbed over their dead comrades to join the fray.

"Go, I will keep them busy."

It was a quiet, firm voice, but it carried above the din. Iroh didn't have time to nod, or even say thanks, but he mouthed a silent prayer as they sprinted away.

"Master Ku!" Dao screamed, trying to go back and stand beside the old man as he was surrounded by the creatures, still bending furiously.

Yana hauled him back, and Yana made another plug spring up between them and Ku. He had trapped himself in, giving them the time they needed to escape. The journey up the shaft was quick. Dao was in tears, and so was Doc Shifty. He cradled Sledge's broken body in his arms, weeping softly. His tears splashed onto Sledge's raiment and mixed with the blood and dust in sickly patterns.

* * *

Lieutenant Zumi watched from the balcony as the Earth Kingdom lines crept closer, like a giant green fist closing around them. The first fingers of dawn were creeping across the horizon, and Zumi inhaled deeply, feeling the fire course through his veins.

A moment later, a cacophony of sound roared to life away to the east. He turned and saw a huge plume of earth thrown skywards by an equally large cloud of fire, only to crash back down with tremendous force. The overpressure wave raced across the landscape, bowing trees before its might. When it reached them Zumi was nearly tossed off his feet. The Earth Kingdom forces seemed similarly taken aback, and for the moment they stopped their deployment, milling around in disarray as footsoldiers and officers alike gaped at the magnitude of the blast.

A messenger ran up and saluted, which Zumi hardly saw the point in, considering the circumstances.

"Sir, Iroh is back, and he has a plan."

"Good. I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to fight this battle myself."

"That's not all. This just came over the wire from high command."

The messenger unfurled a roll of parchment and read aloud.

"Phoenix to observer, priority one message, break.

United Forces negotiator to arrive in less than 24 hours, break.

Do not engage Earth Kingdom forces if at all possible, break."

Zumi shook his head exasperatedly.

"Typical diplomats. Too little, too late."

* * *

Doc Shifty worked like a machine, pulling the powder charge from the hold and shoving it into the breach after the fat metal shell. Every man in the battalion was trained in at least two specialties. The 442nd were used to working alone, without support, and with the possibility that casualties could mount so high that one section of the unit could no longer function. Doc Shifty's second specialist tab had been artillery, and so now he was thusly occupied, reloading the cramped, sweaty turret with rounds every few seconds, only for the whole world to slam and shake as a new fire order came in.

Iroh had taken all of the indirect fire tanks aside and formed one massive battery, which he was using like a sledgehammer to open up holes in the enemy line which the rest of the direct-fire tanks would exploit. Every so often an errant rock would fly past them, smashing into a building or bouncing along the cobblestones. Toranaga was on the radio, yelling out the targets and adjustments over the din of constant fire and reloading.

"Declination two two niner! Latitude twelve degrees... Fire!"

From where Toranaga was sitting Iroh looked like a madman, charging his forces back and forth across the field, sometimes barely avoiding running into the kill-zone of his own bombardments. Three times he watched as the loose spear formation banked and turned to slice clean through an Earth Kingdom brigade. But as many formations as they scattered, more were pouring in from almost every angle except south. Toranaga watched in horror as the lead tank of Kai company crashed into the lead vehicle of an Earth Kingdom armored column. The crash turned into a snarl as the vehicle commanders tried desperately to avoid the pileup and keep moving. The Fire Nation tanks began to circle into an increasingly defensive posture as they took more casualties, rocks and boulders raining down on them from higher elevations. They took out the enemy tanks within the lopsided circle they had made, and then turned their attention outwards, desperately trying to blunt the massive green tide that was storming down the hill.

That was when the order for the rocket strike came through.

* * *

Iroh winced as he was slammed against the rim of the hatch. Their formation was simple, three delta-shaped wings of tanks like birds flying south for the winter. Except, these birds were made of several thousand pounds of metal, and they were flying directly at the enemy.

A burst of artillery crushed several opposing tanks, opening up a space through which his own vehicles poured through, raining shells and fire down on the infantry, who soon retreated. They had fought well, all of them, but it wasn't enough. Now that the Earth Kingdom forces had had a good look at their disposition, Iroh could tell that Sentak thought he could overwhelm him by numbers alone. They had made short work of the piecemeal vanguard sent to soften them up, but those were composed of surplus equipment and untrained conscripts. The main thrust of the attack was now cresting the hills to the northeast, the trails of dust and exhaust billowing outwards and upwards.

Iroh's radioman gave the order to break out and reform, but they were having trouble. Enemy wrecks were blocking the way, and in the precious time it took to extricate themselves, the main body of enemy rushed closer and closer, like a runaway freight train. Time seemed to slow. Muscle memory kicked in. His hands reached for the radio, and a voice spoke through his mouth. It must have been his own, but it sounded so distant, so calm...

"All units, hold your ground. Battery, hillside above phase line E is designated Victor Target. Fire at will."

Something made him glance back at Toko as he let the field phone slip from his fingers. There was no need to give the order to circle up, each tank commander could see with his own eyes that there would not be time for more clever maneuvers. They would make a stand here.

The rockets screeched off their racks and flung themselves into the air, wooshing overhead and impacting the center of the enemy formation with a tremendous rumble. Still, out of the clouds of fire and debris, the enemy kept coming. Their numbers were thinning rapidly, but on they came, emerging out of the smoke cloud of their own destruction like wraiths from some ancient tale.

Turrets swiveled. Rounds left their barrels. Chaos reigned.

* * *

There were circular indentations around Yana's eyes from where she had been pressing the binoculars into her sockets. She had snatched the pair from a passing messanger, and had given him a look that dissuaded all argument.

She could see the hammer coming down on Iroh, even as he sat with his torso outside of the hull of his tank. They were giving as good as they got, but that wasn't good enough. They were going to be overwhelmed and slaughtered, but even knowing this she could not look away. It had been just a short time ago that she had really come to know Iroh, and something in her screamed to get out there, to help him.

As if to answer her prayers, something massive passed overhead, momentarily blotting out the sun. She looked up just in time to see the airships' cannons swivel onto their targets and let loose a terrific volley. Exhilarated whoops went up from the Fire Nation soldiers in Toko as they watched the main enemy formation be cut to pieces. It was like watching a weasel catch its tail in a meat grinder, except that when the dust had settled little pieces of the creature were still alive and running or crawling away as fast as they could.

All along the line, the Earth Kingdom advance halted. The tables had turned now, and the airships were coming on station for another volley. The rout was sudden, and relatively quick. One moment the majority of the enemy were going down the hill, and the next the tide had turned and they were fleeing, some abandoning their tanks and equipment as more artillery landed around them.

Yana anxiously turned her attention back to Iroh's formation. They were not giving chase, and she could see why, even from here. At least a quarter of their tanks were destroyed or disabled, and the bodies of firebenders were sprinkled liberally along with the earthbenders. They had won, but at a steep price.

* * *

Zumi watched the work with a grim satisfaction. He took no pleasure in battle, that foolishness was long past, be he did take pleasure in a task well executed. He wondered about Iroh, though. Had the kid figured it out? Had he cottoned on to the secret yet?

The young captain was sitting atop a pile of rubble, a half eaten ration clutched limply in one hand. His eyes were staring out at the battlefield now strewn with wreckage, human and otherwise. Lieutenant Zumi came and sat down beside him.

For a long time neither of them spoke, there was nothing that need be said. It was funny how school and society had taught them to express their feelings with words, and yet now silence said as much as they ever could by such a common act as speech.

"The negotiator will be here in a few hours."

"Mmm." Iroh said, his eyes still glassy and unfocused.

"He'll want to talk to you first."

"So he will." The captain replied, once again deflecting any attempt at conversation.

Zumi paused, keeping his annoyance in check, trying to remember what he had been thinking and feeling after his first real battle.

"How are you doing?"

The words seemed alien coming out of his mouth, but it was the only way he could crack the shell directly.

"Fine."

"No, I don't mean you personally, I mean the battalion. Will you be ready to lead them again in a few minutes? Because that's what they expect out of you. You have to get up and keep walking."

Iroh glanced down, and then up again. He tilted his head to one side. Zumi waited.

"I feel like there's a million things at once happening inside my head."

"Your brain is thinking through everything. Comparing it with who you are. If it doesn't match up, you'll change. You'll become someone else."

"A better person or a worse person?"

Zumi smiled an ironic, mirthless smile. One of his signature moves.

"That's the question, isn't it? Who will it make you into? Who will you let your experiences become?"

There was another pause, this one shorter than the last.

"You want my advice?"

For the first time, Iroh actually turned and looked him in the eye. He was trembling slightly.

"Yes."

Zumi put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take everything you're feeling right now, all the shame, all the pain, all the conflict, and put it in a box. Tie that box up with string and put It in the closet, and don't open it until you're ready. Right now, your men need YOU. Captain Iroh. They need you as you were. When we get back home there will be plenty of time to decide what it all means, believe me."

Captain Iroh inhaled deeply of the sweet mountain air, held it a moment, and then let it all go. He stood up.

"Thank you" he said, and there was a new vigor in him. "Let's go get the men sorted for dustoff."

"Yes, lets."


	7. Chapter 7 Leaves From the Vine

**(A/N: We sleep soundly in our beds knowing that rough men stand on the wall, ready to deal out unspeakable violence on our behalf.)**

Iroh scratched his fingernails against one another, as he was wont to do when distracted. It was surreal, sitting across this table from the same general he had just been trying to kill not twenty four hours ago. Guards from both sides were standing at attention behind both of them, and the United Forces negotiator was sitting in the middle.

"Your deal has been accepted by the Earth King" Sentak said, as though he wished it hadn't. "Toko will be turned over to the Earth Kingdom on the condition that the Fire Nation citizens that choose to remain will be treated fairly, and that half of the mine's yearly yield will be given in tribute to the Fire Nation."

Sentak's face hardened and he hissed his next words through clenched teeth.

"Please give the Fire Lord the Earth King's thanks for authorizing these… generous concessions."

The UF negotiator beamed, clearly pleased with himself.

"Excellent, excellent, then it is settled!"

Iroh stood, made a very shallow bow, and left the tent, his guards in tow. They walked in silence back to the ruins of the village where more soldiers were doing the grim work of loading the bodies into bags in preparation for their return to their families.

Iroh's heart swelled as he passed them, and he bit back tears. They had all done their duty to the utmost, and they deserved to be remembered forever. Perhaps when he returned, he would make an entry into the Dragonbone Catacombs himself.

Zumi pulled him aside and handed him a field phone from one of the tanks before walking a few steps away to give his conversation some privacy. The voice was tinged with static as the tank's antenna had been bent to an awkward angle during the battle, but the words came across loud and clear.

"Congratulations Captain Iroh. News of your deeds travels fast. Not only have you secured victory in battle, you have achieved it in the field of diplomacy as well. This was a great and skilled accomplishment."

"I took the measures necessary, sir. Nothing more."

There was not much else he could think to say. Even those words rang hollow. That was what they had all done, right? Their duty. There was nothing special about his part.

"Of course you did, and you will return home a hero to your people! I am going to hang up now so you can get packing, but before I let you go, I have one more thing you should be aware of."

"What is it?"

"The next avatar has been located. She was born to two southern water-benders. Her name is Korra."

Iroh stared blankly at the dull metal hull of the tank. Normally he would have greeted this news as important and timely, but right now all he could think about were those rows of bags.

"Iroh? Did you copy my last?"

"I read you loud and clear General Yan. I will see you when I return, for a full debriefing." He replied, keeping his voice even.

"I look forward to it."

* * *

Yana was taking one last walk through her old home, or what was left of it. The building had not fared well, and there was not much left except for the living room wall. All her possessions, her pictures, her old toys, had been pulverized and ground into a fine layer of dust and rubble. All she had left were her memories. She felt a lump rising in her throat, but she swallowed it back down.

She looked up to see Iroh standing in what would have been the doorway, once upon a time. He looked like she felt. Exhausted. Drained.

"You should get your stuff together. The Earth Kingdom escort will be here any minute to take you to Ba Sing Se."

She reached down and hefted her bag over her shoulder, taking several steps toward him.

"Already packed. Not hard when most of my stuff is destroyed."

She tried to make it sound like a joke, but a tear rolled down her cheek as she said the last words, ruining the effect. Without any kind of signal, they embraced. Yana found herself kissing him, holding him tight to her body like he was the only anchor she had left to the real world. The buttons of his greatcoat scuffed her worn traveling cloak. When they broke apart the scenery hadn't changed, but everything was different.

"I suppose you have to go now too. The prince has duties to his nation, after all."

"Yes, I do." Iroh said, looking down. "How long have you known?"

Yana smiled, despite herself.

"It was pretty obvious."

"Yeah, I guess it was…" Iroh said.

He scratched his neck ruefully, letting the silence drag on. At last, Yana broke it.

"Will I ever see you again?"

Iroh nodded.

"For now I have to return home and make sure my men are laid to rest with the honor they deserve."

He reached inside his coat and pulled out a letter. Despite the whole ordeal, it was still firm and unwrinkled.

"This has the Fire Nation royal emblem on it. You can have a stamp-maker copy it when you get to Ba Sing Se, then you will be able to reach me wherever I am. Just write your letter, stamp the envelope, and send it by messenger hawk."

She accepted the letter gratefully, and they departed the ruined house, heading towards the city center, where the airships were docked. The Earth Kingdom soldiers had arrived, and everyone was pulling on their packs after a long wait in the hot sun.

They split wordlessly, Yana going to join her fellow villagers and Iroh going to join his fellow soldiers as they carefully escorted the makeshift coffins up the ramp. He was the last one to step off of the grassy square, and before he did so she could swear she heard him… singing. His voice was deep and clear, and carried above the bustle of humanity.

"Leaves from the vine... falling so slowly… like tiny fragile shells, drifting in the foam…"

**(A/N: Almost done. Thanks for reading. Remember to tell me what you think, and to check out my other stories if you liked this one.)**


	8. Chapter 8 Epilogue

Imperial Scribe Number A-000-92413

Dragon Bone Catacombs

Battle Record 1774  
Section 27

Part 8

153 ASC – Year of the Ox

_Our welcome home was a muted affair, for which I am both grateful and furious. I am grateful because I did not wish to be greeted as a hero, when I am but one of many heroes, and hardly the greatest among them. I am furious because I was the only one to which this title was applied. The real toil rested upon the shoulders of each foot soldier in my battalion, and some paid the ultimate price. I feel like the most humble peasant in the presence of their sacrifice, and I wish dearly that I could make everyone else feel the same way, but I can't._

_The people are distracted. There is trouble in the homeland. The cost of our military expenditures is adding up, and some voices are calling for a restoration of the "old ways", a dog whistle phrase which at its heart means revolution and rebellion. Time will tell if the demagogues of this movement make their speech bolder, so that we may label them as the common troublemakers they are. _

_Regardless, this turn of events still exerts a pressure on my mother as she guides our nation. I have been told in no uncertain terms that a parade for the 422nd is out of the question. Personally, I could care less about the political climate and the optics of such an event, but in the end even I must defer to the will of our Fire Lord. It is grudgingly, bitterly, that I take my leave of my battalion and return to palace life, which seems incredibly dull after what I have seen and done._

_Lieutenant Zumi was right. Those three days in Toko changed me. Before the drop I was a boy, eager and confident, trusting that a star shone over my destiny. After it, I was a man, if not in years then in breadth of experience. I saw that no amount of fate or destiny determines a conflict, sometimes not even skill or prowess. I saw a meaningless clash of lives that sundered the land and destroyed the livelihood of an entire community. But amidst that meaningless destruction, I also saw the best of us. The man who leans down to help a comrade to his feet, even though he is wounded just as gravely. The civilians who tended to my soldier's wounds, despite the gulf of nation, race, and culture that stands between us. The courage of the old man, who knew in an instant the sacrifice that was required of him, and made it in an instant._

_I only hope that when my time comes, I will face it with as much bravery as Master Ku._

_-Captain Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation_

Iroh placed the pen aside and stared at the document for a moment. Then he rolled it up gently and handed it to the attendant who whisked it away. As he left the dark and musty tunnels his thoughts drifted back to Yana, and something tugged inside his chest. A distant strain of music wafted through his head, and he hummed gently as he walked. Beneath his feet, the world continued to turn.

**(A/N: There it is. A tale from the frontier. Thank you for sticking with me to the end.)**


End file.
